What is there to do in North Texas? (Dallas, Fort Worth: renting, hotel)

[StEt0417]

What are some fun outdoor things to do in the North Dallas area? We moved to Hickory Creek from Fort Lauderdale Fl about 5 months ago and are having a hard time adapting to Texas. We love the housing here, the education systems seems to be great however we are bored out of our minds. We are use to things being close, beach, water activites. In Fort lauderdale we are use to eating dinners along the water then walking around the riverwalk. We are so glad the weather has been warm the last 2 months but what is there to do in North Dallas? We feel like everything is so far not sure if its just because of the area we live in. Where do people go when they go out at night? The nightlight if South Florida seems to be a bit different it doesnt matter what city you live in people get dressed up and go dancing/drinks. Someone referred us to downtown Denton but it seems to be more of young college kids. We are 30 we arent looking to getting trashed at night but just a nice place to go for dinner/drinks like a boardwalk type place. We are also trying to find things to do with our children besides parks. We did go and visist the World aquriaum in downtown and the roughriders. Any ideas would help because we are bored out of our minds!!

[pepper131]

I had to google Hickory Creek - never heard of it.
Well...there is the Frank Buck Zoo in Gainesville - I think there is a train there also in Leonard Park plus a pool.

Denton is not a bunch of drunk college students. There's a jazz festival there this weekend. Denton Arts and Jazz Festival

Try to see what types of campus activities are going on. This recently happened. Nick Cave Turns Students Into Animals For Performance "Heard" At UNT (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

This place just opened and they welcome families: HOME (http://spacastleusa.com/ - broken link)

For a date night, try Keiichi - Denton, TX

[TrueDat]

As a former resident of S. Florida, I can say that If you're looking for something like Fort Lauderdale's Las Olas or Miami's Lincoln Road in South Beach, you're certainly not going to find it in Hickory Creek or Denton County. And, honestly, without the water features, you're not going to find much like them in North Texas. But there are places in Dallas and Fort Worth where you can dine and stroll a bit.

There's McKinney Avenue in Uptown Dallas which tends to skew young but there are places for "the grown folks" like Private/Social, where Top Chef contender Tiffany Derry is the chef. You can take the free trolley say from the downtown in the Arts District -- after a day exploring the Nasher Sculpture Garden, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Crow Museum of Asian Art, or a performance at the Wyly or Winspear Opera House -- into Uptown for dinner. If I had to compare it to a South Florida neighborhood, I'd say, maybe, Coconut Grove, both are areas of bars, restaurants, and shops with a mix of the college-age -- UM there, SMU here -- and young professionals. Uptown Dallas - Main

The Bishop Arts District in Oak Cliff - Home, an older neighborhood that's being re-discovered. There are lots of good restaurants there -- Lucia, Eno's, Bolsa, etc. The equivalent in South Florida might be Wynwood or the Design District.

There's Highland Park Village which is roughly the equivalent of Bal Harbour Shops or maybe something you'd find in Coral Gables; it's an older, outdoor mall with nothing but high-end stores and a movie theater with a restaurant, Marquee, with a balcony that's on top of the actual theater marquee. (Another Top Chef contender, Tre Wilcox, is the chef there). Highland Park Village | The Premier Shopping Experience of Dallas, Texas

In Fort Worth, you've got downtown Fort Worth (Downtown Fort Worth - Events, Dining, Nightlife, Projects, Volunteer Info - Downtown Fort Worth) which gets pretty busy on weekend nights and can be diverting to walk around. Same with the Stockyards area in Fort Worth though that it's very touristy. Fort Worth Stockyards

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by StEt0417

What are some fun outdoor things to do in the North Dallas area? We moved to Hickory Creek from Fort Lauderdale Fl about 5 months ago and are having a hard time adapting to Texas. We love the housing here, the education systems seems to be great however we are bored out of our minds. We are use to things being close, beach, water activites. In Fort lauderdale we are use to eating dinners along the water then walking around the riverwalk. We are so glad the weather has been warm the last 2 months but what is there to do in North Dallas? We feel like everything is so far not sure if its just because of the area we live in. Where do people go when they go out at night? The nightlight if South Florida seems to be a bit different it doesnt matter what city you live in people get dressed up and go dancing/drinks. Someone referred us to downtown Denton but it seems to be more of young college kids. We are 30 we arent looking to getting trashed at night but just a nice place to go for dinner/drinks like a boardwalk type place. We are also trying to find things to do with our children besides parks. We did go and visist the World aquriaum in downtown and the roughriders. Any ideas would help because we are bored out of our minds!!

The only "boardwalk-type" place in the metroplex is the Harbor @ Rockwall on Lake Ray Hubbard. However, if you can let go of trying to recreate what you enjoyed in your last city, you can find lots of great fun things to do in your new city:

1. Downtown/Uptown is HARDLY all "college kids" getting wasted. It's a mostly mid-20's through 40's/50's district and includes much more than just bars:

-ride on the Uptown Trolley from the West Village to the Arts District downtown. You can visit the Nasher Sculpture Garden (open late on 1st Saturdays with movies & events in the garden), the DMA (open late on 3rd Fridays with great events for the whole family), see a show at the Wyly or Winspear, etc. You can then have a great dinner - from casual to fancy- at the dozens of restaurants along McKinney or on the side streets.

- enjoy brunch on Knox Street (Taverna, Tolouse, Chuy's, La Duni, etc) and then take a walk on the Katy Trail. You can walk all the way down to the American Airllines Center, about 2 miles round trip). Stop for a drink at the Katy Trail Ice House which is just off the trail a few feet

- do the art gallery walk along Fairmont Street. Don't forget the McKinney Avenue Contemporary

- enjoy good but relatively inexpensive live theatre at the Quadrangle's Theatre Three and Theatre Too


2. The Bishop Arts District in North Oak Cliff is great for a good meal (Bolsa, Eno's, Longfellow's, Hattie's) and some window shopping. They been have a soda pop bar, good for all ages!!

Near the Bishop Arts District is The Belmont Hotel, which is a renovated 1940's motorcourt inn complete with a live concert series, movie nights by the pool, and Sundays in the summer when their pool is open to everyone for free! Good restaurant Smoke and killer downtown view from the patio lounge.

3. Visit the Dallas Arboretum which has Thursday night live music in the spring & summer. They are also building a $40M kids center which will open in a year or two. Fantastic Dale Chiluily sculpture exhibit just opened - it's a MUST SEE. Many great events throughout the year- Dallas Blooms, Pumpkin Festival, Thanksgiving & Christmas teas @ the Degoyler Home, etc.

4. Walk around White Rock Lake. Bring a picnic and a frisbee or fishing pole! Find Sunset Point and watch the sun fall down through the downtown skyline.

5. Visit the Dallas farmer's market. Eat lunch @ Pecan Lodge.

6. Great day trips- Dallas Zoo, Fort Worth Zoo, Fort Worth Kimbell Art museum, Fort Worth Botanical Gardens

7. Great annual events- Plano's Hot Air Balloon Festival, Grapefest in Grapevine, Texas State Fair, Irish Festival @ Fair Park, Christmas Lights in Highland Park, Etc

8. Visit downtown McKinney's historic square, have dinner & then stroll around. You can even walk a few blocks off the square to see some beautiful old Victorian homes from 100 years ago!

9. Home tours galore around the metroplex- Swiss Avenue for Mother's Day, Historic Oak Cliff in the fall, Park Cities Conservation District in the spring, Lakewood in the fall, etc. there are also artist studio tours and many other interesting ways to city the city!!

[pepper131]

Today there is an event for the whole family - Chefs on Fire - at the Shops at Park Lane across from Northpark Center.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

The Dallas area is not short on good eating and nightlife. That's not hard to find here.

But North Texas is not really the place for outdoor activities. A person who comes here looking for that is going to be dissapointed. The best we have are lakes scattered throughout the reigning where you can fish or go out on a boat. The do have place to eat at most of them as well.

[TrueDat]

It would be nice if there were something like Miami's Lincoln Road or Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade here. They are basically outdoor malls and we do have all those same stores in NorthPark, Highland Park Village, and The Galleria. But because they've closed off the streets to car traffic in Miami Beach and Santa Monica, they feel less less mall-ish and more like boulevards conducive to strolling. Of course, being near water helps, too.

[VonHuffenHausen]

Well since North Dallas is only ten-15 minutes from downtown, uptown, White Rock Lake, etc, there is plenty to do. Any Friday/Saturday night people are dressed up and out.

Oh wait, Hickory Creek? You are not in North Dallas, you are in some small town in Denton county, not Dallas. Go to Dallas or Fort Worth, plenty to do.

[pepper131]

I'm wondering how you chose Hickory Creek coming from Ft Lauderdale. I had never heard of it....what made you zero in on it? Are you renting?....because there might another area that is better suited to your active interests.

[TrueDat]

Hickory Creek is nice. It's right on Lake Lewisville, on the other side of the water from Highland Village and Lewisville. But it's not exactly a hive of urban activity.